A planimetric study on the female urethral closure pressure profile.

Integration of the pressures along the functional part of the female urethral profile performed by planimetry adds information to what can be obtained by measuring functional length alone. In 43 patients with urinary stress incontinence, a statistically significant lower area of the profile was found in patients with decreased urethral resistance (diagnosed by pressure-flow study and micturition cystourethrography), whereas patients with cystourethrocele had larger areas than a control group. Patients with cystocele or bladder insufficiency did not differ from the controls.